Cyclists Honor Fallen Friend In Memorial Ride

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) — Hundreds of bicyclists are honoring their friend the best way they know how. They’re taking part in a memorial ride to remember a man who was killed over the weekend while riding his bike.

The ride started at Jax Bicycle Center in Irvine and was slated to end at Santiago Canyon Road and Loma Ridge Jeep Trail in Orange.

Joseph Robinson, 21, was riding along Santiago Canyon Road over the weekend when he was struck by a drunken driver and killed. That driver, identified as 18-year-old Sommer Gonzales of Tustin, fled the scene, but she was eventually caught in Rancho Santa Margarita and charged with felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence.

At the end of the ride, cyclists will gather at the location where the accident took place on Santiago Canyon Road.

“I want people to know that he was a Southern Californian cyclist. He loved to ride. And one of the messages that need to go out today is that this can happen to anybody,” said Dave Hanson, the owner of Jax Bicycle Center.

The cyclists taking part in Wednesday’s ride want to honor Robinson’s memory, but they also want to remind all cyclists and motorists to be safe on the road.